Rain in the Lower City
by romance-addict44
Summary: One rainy night Rosto, Aniki and Kora are ambushed by a mysterious group on the way home. Beka sees them as they come in...uncovering a plot that could destroy the people of the Lower City that she has fought so hard to protect...Beka and Rosto eventually
1. Rain

I stared out at the rain. The pit-pat of the raindrops striking the cobbles below was comforting and helped me relax. I loved storms in the Lower City. It seemed to wash the streets clean like nothing else could, erasing the dark and gloomy past of the people who lived there. The smell of fresh rain tended to cover the stench of the gutters for at least a few hours and the rain cleared the muck from the streets, making the Lower City almost pleasant.

The rain was welcomed in Corus where it had been in short supply for the past few years. Judging from the enormus thunderheads banking in the sky, change was coming. It would change the fortunes of many, wether for the better or the worse. Personally, it wouldn't affect me any, just make watch a bit more damp and uncomfortable. Still, that was worth the good rain would bring.

A pigeon landed on the sill. As I looked down I recognized him as White Spice, his feathers pooling water beneath him. He hopped into the room, landing with a flutter and a spray of water on my desk. I sighed. I would have to spend time drying the papers out that night, time I didn't have. Curling my toes under in an attempt to warm them I paced the short expanse of bare floorboards.

Glancing back out into the rain, a flash of color caught my eye. Looking down I saw Rosto, Kora cradled in his arms and Aniki at his side. I knew from his gait that something was wrong. I didn't bother closing the shutters. If that idiot pigeon managed to find his way back outside while I was gone, all the better. Pulling a pair of breeches on beneath my nightshirt I raced out of the room.

I jumped down the last few stairs and threw open the front door, ignoring the rain that soaked me. I really don't mind the wet and the rain tickled my skin. As soon as they were inside, Aniki sagged against the wall, her face white.

"Take her up to my room," I told Rosto without hesitation. His face grim he nodded, starting up the stairs. Aniki started after him, wincing each time her foot touched the ground. I closed the door, shutting out the storm and hurried after them. On my way up the stairs Pounce passed me going down. He cast a baleful glance at me as if to say, _Your friends seem to get into a lot of trouble_. I rolled my eyes at him and dripped my way into my rooms, where I found Kora lying on my bed and Aniki resting in the desk chair.

"What happened?" I asked anxiously as I locked the door. I didn't want to be disturbed, and I was sure the others felt the same. Aniki grimaced.

"Ambushed by three coves and two mots. Didna see 'em comin'," Her voice was strained. Her hair was disheveled, straggling down the sides of her face and partway down her back. Rosto spoke, his voice low.

"They was like shadows, faster 'n anything I ever saw."

"Faster th'n Rosto the Piper?" I asked, gently teasing. He rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong wi' Kora?" I asked. Ersken would be worried frantic and I wanted to be able to answer his questions well enough. If I couldn't he'd be anxious all through watch, and that was never a good idea.

"Wore out. O'er reached herself and passed out. Should be fine after a decent nights sleep,"

"And what of you?" I asked Aniki. The blonde smiled weakly.

"Twisted my ankle. Fell in the gutter." Rosto grinned as he remembered.

"Good thing 's raining so hard, lest the stench would be worse." She elbowed him but he leaned away. All was silent for a moment until that idiot pigeon fluttered from the desk to the ground, alerting all to his presence. Rosto stooped and caught him up, then threw him out the window. I saw the bird spread his wings and land in an alcove across the street.

"Shall I let you know if I hear sommat?" I asked. Rosto shook his head.

"You shan't, we didn't manage to douse a one." This surprised me. Even with five against three, two without Kora, they should of managed to get at least one of the folk as ambushed them. Something about that didn't sit right. Not considering Aniki and Rosto were both known as good fighters. The more I thought about it, the more that seemed odd to me.

"Not one?" I wanted to make sure I'd heard right. Aniki answered this time.

"Not a one."

* * *

A/N: I'm revising this, and this used to be the first two chapters, minus some. I realized how awfully short and odd it was, and so I'm going to re-write this whole story. Same plot and stuff, but better. Hopefully. Tell me what you think! Is it better or worse than the original??


	2. Nightmarket

It was the middle of the evening watch the next day 'afore I remembered to mention my friends ambush on the night before to Tunstall and Goodwin. I'd been thinking on it all morning, but I guess I was distracted by all the going back and forth we were doing. It was a busy night, and pickpockets were abundant, and it seemed that a pub just a ways off was selling ale for half price, so there were plenty of drunks. When I did mention it, they were both silent. Finally Goodwin spoke.

"He's the rogue Cooper, what do you expect?" Tunstall spoke up 'fore I could open my mouth to reply.

"Think on this Clary. Rosto's well liked, and a definite improvement over that blundering buffoon Kayfer. An' you seen him that day at the court then Crookshank come in a hollerin'. He's fast as anything, and those mots are no joke either. It's a strange day when they're ambushed and kill nary a one, don't ye think?" Goodwin pursed her lips. I know she don' like to be wrong, specially when Tunstall's the one to tell her so.

"I'll keep an ear out Cooper, but I doubt there'll be aught to hear. Folk as attack the rogue won't be likely to blab an' there won't be any witnesses as no one in their right mind was out in that storm." This was the same conclusion we had reached the night before. It wasn't comforting in the least. I thanked them quickly, following as Tunstall made for a stall where we could see pasties cooling on the counter. Typical. He sure loves it when we walk the nightmarket.

We were standing in front of the stall Tunstall had spotted (or more likely, smelled - Goodwin swears he's got the nose of a real dog when it comes to food) and my dogs were chatting amiably with Mistress Carver. It hadn't taken Tunstall long to find a new favorite after the execution of Diedrey Noll. Mistress Carver was a younger mot with red curls and an accent that spoke of her family's roots in the Airen Isles just off the coast of the Tortallan and Scanran border. She was mayhap in her mid twenties, but Tunstall swore she made the best cinnamon crisps and meat pasties he'd ever tasted. I highly doubted Tunstall would hesitate to declare food of any sorts he best, but her baking _was_ delightful.

To be truthful, she seemed like a nice enough mot; she was certainly friendly enough. She's a sweet little thing. Course, that's what I'd thought about Mistress Noll, too. Honestly, if there's anything wrong with her, it's that she's too open, too naive for living in the Lower City. She's no good at hiding anything, and talks freely to anyone who's willing to listen. I won't make that mistake again. Nearly talked my ear off, and all of it drivel. Not a useful scrap anywheres.

I suspected her baking was only one of the reasons my dogs had chosen to buy their goods from her. She was much more talkative than Mistress Noll and let plenty slip, as well as her being new to Tortall and not yet having the prejudices the other inhabitants of the lower city had accumulated. She didn't know anything about the feud between the Francis brothers, who haven't spoken a kind word to each other since they were young, when Thomas married a mot that Benjamin had had his eyes on for years. She didn't understand anything about Rachel and Sarah, who had once been bitter enemies and now were the best of friends. A dangerous position to be sure. I don' envy her. That ignorance has gotten her into a few tight spots and made her few friends.

Something the mot said caught my attention, and I tuned out the talk of the other visitors to the nightmarket, listening closely.

"From what I hear, a group of Scanran merchants arrived just yesterday." Yesterday. The day of the storm, when my friends had been attacked. That didn't mean anything, but it couldn't hurt to ask. I leaned on the counter, resting my cheek in my palm.

"Any idea when they arrived?" I asked casually. Mistress Carver shrugged, tucking her hair back.

"'Round dusk it were," Dusk? That sounded right. Mayhap they'd heard sommat. If I talked to them, maybe I'd learn more about these men that had attacked my friends. It wasn't much, but it was somewhere to start.

"Where are they staying?" I asked. She frowned thoughtfully.

"They've taken rooms at the place down on Harken lane...what's it called?" Goodwin answered.

"The Hidden City?" Mistress Carver nodded, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. As soon as I noticed her doing in I realized I was doing the exact same thing and dropped my hand's to my sides.

"That's the place." I've heard of the place. It's got a good reputation, and I shouldn't have any trouble finding it. If I do, I'm sure Tunstall or Goodwin could give me directions. We thanked her for the food and handed over several coppers. Or rather, Goodwin and I thanked her, as Tunstall had his mouth full, which I suppose was thanks enough.

I didn't say much for the rest of watch. If Goodwin or Tunstall thought that was odd, they didn't say anything, and I'm sure grateful for that. I needed some time to think. I've decided I'll pay these merchants a visit tomorrow if I can get out early enough. This is the only lead I've got, so I might as well follow it to the end. If it yields nothing, I can't say I didn't try.


	3. Kora's Tale

When I arrived back to the lodging house that night I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto my bed and sleep till the end of time. It had been a hard night, and I was wore to the bone. I knew I had several new bruises to add to my extensive collection and I would be sore as ever in the morning. So it was reasonable to want some sleep, but I wanted to talk to Ersken about dropping in on those merchants tomorrow before Ahuda mustered us for our daily 'baton practice'. I limped up to my rooms and dropped off my gear. Thanks to a stop at the bathhouse I weren't too dirty and my clothes were relatively clean. Then I limped back downstairs to Kora's room, where I knew I'd find Ersken.

Surprisingly, Kora was awake when I entered the room, sitting up in bed. She was pale and looked exceedingly tired, but from the way she grinned at me I could tell she was fine. That was reassuring in itself. If she can't manage a smile then there's something wrong. Sure enough, just as I'd thought, Ersken was sitting next to her, his arm around her waist. I'm surprised he'd e'en left his room for watch today he was so worried. He'd pelted me with questions the whole day, every time we seen each other, and I wasn't sure I could take any more. So it was good. She could answer all his questions now, and save me a massive headache.

"Glad to see you're awake," I said to Kora. She shrugged, smiling.

"I wasn't till Ersken here showed up. Said you sent him." I blushed. I had been hoping he wouldn't tell her that part. I should have known he wasn't 'bout to keep anything from her. I'd worry 'bout him trusting her so completely, if it were anyone but Kora. She'd never take advantage of him like that. I didn't miss the sheepish grin on Ersken's face at Kora's comment.

Then I turned to Ersken. "Got someone who may have seen something last night and I want you to come with me tomorrow to meet 'em." His face darkened, all business now.

"Who?" he asked.

"Some Scanran merchants arrived in town around the time Kora and them was attacked. I think mayhap they saw something. They're staying in the Hidden City o'er on Harken Lane, 'cording to Mistress Carver." He smiled. He'd met the young redhead, when the six of us; Aniki, Kora, Ersken, Rosto, Phelen and me had gone walking through the Nightmarket on our day off. She'd tried to catch his eye more than once that night, until Kora got annoyed and took him to look at herbs.

A thought struck me.

"Kora, if you don't mind, I never got your side of the story. Mayhap there's something you noticed that the others missed." It was possible. As a mage, Kora tended to see things in a slightly different light than the others, who tended to think that most problems could be solved with a good weapon. There had been numerous occasions her input had come in useful. Kora frowned, propping her chin in her hand.

"What did they tell you?" she asked, her forehead creasing slightly.

"Said there was five of them, two mots and three coves. Said it was like they wasn't entirely there." She thought for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face.

"That much is right, but there was more. I doubt the others noticed it though 'acos they ain't mages." That was something I should have thought of earlier, rather than nearly a day later. "Nothing I threw at them did a thing, like, as you said, they wasn't entirely there. The magic seemed to bounce off them, didn't affect them a bit. Even my fire spells seemed to slide right past them. The most bizarre thing I ever seen or heard of." I didn't like the sound of that. It wasn't natural. I've heard of mages powerful enough to reflect the magic back, but never had I heard of it being ineffective.

I'd see if I could get Berryman to talk to her. For all he's a gem mage, he knows more'n a bit 'bout the strange magics of Tortall. He was one of the few who'd heard of my gift 'afore. Mayhap he would have some ideas. Certainly he'd come up with something better than I would. The two leads I had weren't much, but they was more'n I'd hoped for. Things as strange as this tend to leave a big impact and little evidence.

* * *

A/N: Sorry bout the long wait. I've been busy this month. Gone on vacation every weekend.


	4. Scanran Merchants

I woke the next morning to the pigeons tapping on the window. The voices of their ghosts filled my ears, some of it useless, a few containing something small I could pass on. There was a mot whose man had murdered her when she caught him with another, a rusher killed by someone he owed and a man killed by the docks, among others. I memorized this to pass along to Rosto and my dogs. Unlike Kayfer, Rosto cared what happened to the folk of the Lower City.

I kidnaped Ersken after breakfast and we made our way to Harken street. It wasn't a very long walk, but it took us close to a half hour. The air still smelled fresh from the rain two days 'afore, although the customary smells of the Lower City were beginning to show once more. The Hidden City was a decent inn and tavern, and their ale had a good reputation among the Dogs of Prettybone, though Tunstall and Goodwin both agreed it wasn't near as good as that from the Mantel and Pullet. It was two floors and took up much of the street. According to the legends of the Lower City it was named for the ruins of a city buried beneath Prettybone, and the entrance was rumored to be in the cellar. No one believed such hog wash o' course, but it made for a fair bit of business from folk as come from out of town.

The merchants met us in the lobby. There was a pair of tall, slim and muscular folk, a mot and a cove, twins with their matching blue eyes and auburn hair. With them was a blonde gixie mayhap two or three years younger than Ersken and I, and a broad cove with light brown hair. There was something a bit strange, though it's hard to define now thinkin' back. They almost seemed too real, too clear, as when an old man puts on his eyeglasses. Their features were sharp, though I can't seen to quite recall them. When I spoke to Ersken later he said the same thing, though he didn't find it suspicious as I did.

Ersken and I asked them if they seen anything, and the tall mot answered.

"We didn't see anything, nor did we hear a sound. I'm sorry we couldn't be of any help." She said it in a way that forbade any other questions, closing the topic with the first sentence spoken. Her eyes seemed hostile towards us considering we'd never met before, but that didn't strike me as odd. These days you minded your own business or they looked at you with askance. Her voice was strange as well. I'd been expecting something along the lines of Rosto or Aniki's, but she didn't have a Scanran accent. Come to think of it, I don't recall an accent of any kind - one that I could place that is. The rest of our meeting was concluded shortly. So I am back down to one lead. If Berryman found anything different in Kora's story, that is.

The rain that night had made watch miserable. It wasn't the same rain I'd enjoyed so much two days before. This was wretched, the bone - chilling kind that seeped into you, setting you shivering for hours. The sky was black when I finally stepped inside the lodging house, dripping water all o'er the floor. My land lady wouldn't be happy with me for that but she'd long ago assured me she wouldn't throw me out for something so trivial as that s'long as I paid my rent on time. This wasn't the first time I'd been grateful for that.

I squished my way over to the fireplace where the others sat, spraying water with every step. I didn't think I'd ever be warm again, though I was sure Rosto'd be quick to come up with several ways to fix that. Not that I'd be agreeing to any one of them, mind you. I'd no desire to be another bed warmer for the rogue. Curse him, I thought as he grinned at me. Why does he have to be so insufferably good looking? Ignoring Rosto's frequent propositions - he's still convinced I need a man and that he best qualifies for the job - I asked Kora about her chat with Berryman. He'd told her that it was a strange occurrence, but he didn't recall nothing about resistance to magic.

So I was down to nothing. The scowl on my face told Rosto to leave me alone and he did, which I was thankful for. After a while I announced that I was going to bed. Wearily I trudged upstairs to bed and collapsed. Maybe things would be better in the morning. Somehow, I doubted it. I learned long ago that nothing changes overnight, and problems didn't resolve themselves while you were sleeping. No, if I was lucky, at least the rain should be gone in the morning.

* * *

Wow. It's been a really long time. Sorry about that. I'll try to do better.


	5. Pigeons

The next morning I woke to find my body ached and my legs were stiff. I closed my eyes and tried to recapture sleep, but sleep had deserted me for the day. With a sigh I rose and dressed. The bruise on my side drew a wince as I stretched and I grimaced. That was going to make watch fun today. Pounce was sleeping on my desk below the window. Apparently sometime during the night he had abandoned my bed for the desk. Probably so I didn't squash him in my sleep. He was a smart cat, with a strong sense of self preservation. I didn't want to wake him if I didn't have to, but he opened his eyes anyway as I limped to the window. When he saw it was me he closed them once more and began to clean himself, ignoring me. If I had to have a cat, couldn't it be a normal one? Before me was a strange sight. Gathered below my window was seven pigeons, just sitting there, staring expectantly up at me with their yellow eyes. It was more than unnerving, but I still opened my window to admit them. It wasn't long before the voices of the dead filled my ears.

"_They come out of nowhere. I've ne'er seen anythin' like it. They was faster than our rogue, and I've never seen nothin' faster'n him 'afore neither."_

"_Like shadows they was, or mayhap ghosts, with their wicked dark eyes and pale skin."_

"_Just a bunch of Scanran troublemakers I'd wager, though I ne'er heard 'em comin' and I'm known for hearin' e'erything."_

"_They came out of the dark like they were part of it. The four dockhands I'd been gambling with tricked me, I'm sure of it. They wanted more than the money they had already won off of me."_

" _Mama warned me 'bout gamblin' wi' nobles, that she did. I should 'ave listened to her. I was a looby to think he'd pay up. 'Stead he had us all murdered after he'd won e'ery copper of o' us."_

My blood ran cold. These men's tales sounded too similar to Rosto, Kora and Aniki's to be coincidence. I pulled out a sheet of paper and hurried to write these new murders down, along with my friends ambush. The descriptions all sounded the same. Shadow-like, silent and fast as lightning. It seemed there was a new force loose in the Lower City, more dangerous than anything I've heard of 'afore. I didn't like it.

"Rosto!" I shouted, pounding on his door. He answered in just his breeches, and it was several moments before I recovered enough to remember what I'd come for. When he saw the look on my face he frowned slightly.

"What's wrong Beka?" he asked worriedly. He knew me well - I wouldn't bother him this early in the morning if it wasn't necessary.

"It's about those people who attacked you. I've got five coves dead by the same folk."

"The same? How can you be sure?"

"The descriptions are all the same as the ones you, Aniki and Kora gave me." He thought this over for several minutes, his dark eyes flashing as he processed this new information.

"Do you have any names?" I shook my head.

"No. I do know that it's four folk from the Lower City and some noble lad. They were gambling down at the docks when they were killed." He frowned, a puzzled expression.

"I'll keep my ears open. I'm bound to hear something, at least about the noble." That's what I'd hoped for. Four coves missing in the Lower City wasn't much, but a missing noble would cause an uproar. I also hoped that someone would find the bodies, though that seemed as unlikely as anyone having witnessed the act itself. It struck me as odd that both attacks had been on miserable, rainy nights, but surely that was nothing. Still, I catalogued this bit of information anyway. Useless or no, it was better not to exclude any details, especially when there were so few.

Breakfast was a subdued affair. I suppose the gloomy weather had gotten to everyone. I know it had gotten to me. Even Rosto was to absorbed in his own thoughts to flirt, and that was rare. It seemed no one had a word to spare that morning. Afterwards we all cleaned up and went our separate ways. As I gathered my things for watch I groaned. Outside, a light sprinkle of rain had begun once again. It looked as though it would be another wet, miserable night.

* * *

HAHA! Yes! Less than two weeks and I have the next chapter up...at least, I think it's less than two weeks. Either way, not bad for me. :D


	6. Breakfast

THREE DAYS LATER

We all ate breakfast in my room that morning because it was raining out again. After so long with so little, the sky seemed to be trying to make up for the drought of the past few years in as little time as possible. I'd heard the Olorun was flooding, and the puddles in the streets refused to go away. They had become a permanent fixture in the city over the past week, and now we either automatically skirted them or trudged through them. What difference did a little more water make? The thunder outside echoed continually and lightning flashed in the sky. With the shutters closed the sound was slightly lessened, but the pounding of rain on the roof made it difficult to hear much.

Suddenly, Pounce perked his head up, ears twitching. Before he'd been sleeping (how that cat can sleep when it sounds as if the sky is falling outside is beyond me), but now he was alert. I've long learned to trust his instincts. As silly as he might be at times, Pounce is useful when he wants to be. He jumped onto the desk, stepping daintily over the food set there. Then he did the strangest thing; he pawed at the window. Kora stretched and went to pick him up, but he hissed and swiped his paw at her. She jerked back, startled. Even I was surprised. My cat is nothing if not gentle - at least with my friends. He mrted at me.

_Look outside, _he said. Puzzled, I told Kora to open the shutters. I had learned not to ignore my cat when he behaved this way. She opened the shutters reluctantly and I didn't blame her. We'd had enough of the rain. She looked outside at the street below for a moment, then gasped when she realized what she was seeing.

"Get over here Beka," she whispered, her voice hoarse. I obliged, my heart pounding. It took a lot to set Kora off. She was usually a steady girl, and if whatever it was upset her...

The scene that met my eyes was one of chaos. Three rushers, ones known as Bold Brian, Reed Katie and Little Jackie as well as two Dogs I don't recall by name, were standing in a loose circle. The sounds were dim amidst the din of the storm, but the shouts were still audible, if incomprehensible. It took us a few minutes to see what they were going on about. They were dark and blended with the gloomy streets, and they were never in the same spot for long.

"The same people who attacked you?" I asked Kora. She nodded, her face white. With another glance I could see what they'd meant when they'd said these people were like shadows. Still, they were only human, I pulled on my coat and grabbed my baton, the weight comforting in my hands.

"Where are you going?" Ersken asked, a look of mild surprise on his face..

"They need help." I said, pulling on my boots. I disappeared down the stairs, not really expecting the others to follow. Then I heard the others scramble to life behind me. Rosto was the first to join me, nervously flipping his knife from one hand to the other.

"Beka, this is mad."

"I know," I said with a smile.

"I'll never forgive you if you get yourself killed."

"I don't intend to." I retorted.

"But," he said, arching an eyebrow, his eyes sparkling with mischief, "In case you do..." He pulled me into a kiss.

How I hate that man. He knows exactly what to do to make me helpless. I'd promised myself if he tried something like that again I'd make him regret it. Yet somehow, making him regret kissing me is the last thing I want. Finally he pulled away and I was free. My cheeks burned as I saw my friends watching, knowing smiles on all of their faces. Even Ersken, for god's sake, and he knew how I felt.

"We're wasting daylight," I said, brushing it off as I opened the door. The shouts were louder here than they had been in my room. Stepping out into the rain, I shifted my grip on my baton. I'd need my wits about me if I were to survive the fight I knew we were getting into.

* * *

Hooray for free time and no math homework!


	7. Aftermath

It was a minute before I realized I was shaking again. Taking a deep breath I willed myself to stop shaking and my hands steadied. I forced myself to relax, unclenching my fingers. Rosto was finishing knotting the bandage around my arm, and I had smeared salve on the cut on my cheek. Aniki, Kora and Ersken were escorting the others home because there wasn't enough room in the boarding house for another five people. It was another minute before I realized he was still muttering under his breath.

"...could have gotten killed...what was she _thinking_?...what was _I _thinking?..." I looked up to see a rain soaked Rosto glaring angrily. The glare wasn't directed at me, but I had no doubt that it would have been if he hadn't needed his eyes for something else. He was shaken - we all were. I hadn't thought that anything could give me the shakes this bad, and I'd never seen Rosto or Aniki this upset. The fight in the streets had shaken everyone. _And with good reason,_ I thought.

_Flashback:_

_I was already sweating heavily when I got my first close up look at our attackers. Blocking the blade with my baton I realized it was a young girl, maybe fifteen, with skin and hair so pale she seemed almost ghostlike. Her eyes were what scared me the most. They were as black as night, darker even than Rosto's. She wore only a thin white shirt and brown breeches, and her feet were bare. She reminded me of the tree spirits Granny Fern had told me tales of when I was younger. I guess I paused for a second too long because she brought her rapier up under my guard. I barely managed to stop the stroke, but it had sliced open my arm. _

_Thunder rumbled and lightning lit the sky. The girl froze and her face pointed upward, her eyes wide. Then she fled, disappearing with the others into the empty streets._

_End Flashback_

Now that I've seen them for myself, I know these people aren't normal. There's nothing normal about them. I don't think I'll ever forget those eyes. They were so empty, like looking into a well to find there's nothing at the bottom. Aniki claims it is like looking into the Black God's realms.

This time we got lucky. And I don't like to rely on luck. If something hadn't sent them running deeper into the city I have no doubt what the results would have been. Next time, we might not be so lucky. I have to find a way to stop them from killing more folk in the Lower City because I know that whoever they choose as their next mark is not going to be as lucky as we were today. We have to prove that the folk of the Lower City are not an easy target just because no one will miss us once we're gone.

Something I've noticed. . .There's been three attacks so far. Rosto, Kora and Aniki were attacked during a storm. The pigeons' ghosts showed up the morning after a storm, and it's still storming out. There's got to be some sort of connection there, and if they only attack when there's bad weather, this is the season for it. Bad weather is everywhere. Goddess knows the rain is everywhere.

I don't intend to just sit around whilst folk is being attacked. I'm going to find out what's behind these creatures, and I'm going to stop them somehow.

I only hope I can do it soon, before there's another rainstorm.

"Beka?" Rosto asked, startling myself out of my thoughts. I didn't look up.

"Hmm?" I wasn't paying much mind to him, though his next words caught my attention.

"Please don't do something like that again." I looked up at him through my bangs, a scowl on both our faces.

"I'll do whatever I think is necessary," I replied, though I know it wasn't the answer he was looking for. Mayhap I am purposely difficult with him. He scowled, he dark eyes flashing.

"Necessary? How about trying not to get yourself killed?"

"Just because I do something stupid doesn't mean that you have to follow me Rosto. I can take care of myself."

"Everyone thinks they can take care of themselves better than they actually can." he snapped. I sat there in silence.

"Fine." He stalked out of the room and down the stairs, slamming the door behind him. I turned to Pounce who turned his cat nose up at me.

"What's it to him if I get myself killed?" I asked my cat, though I know the answer. Pounce must have sensed this, because he just cocked his head at me, apparently having used up his words for the day. I scowled and began clearing up the remains of our breakfast. "What use are you?" I asked Pounce, who flounced his tail indignantly and began to wash himself disdainfully. I felt bad for taking my anger out on him and gave him fish for his supper.


	8. No News

Goddess knows I've been ridiculously lucky as of this past week. There's been no foul weather to speak of, save a light misting one afternoon, but even that lasted no more than a handful of minutes. There's been foul fog however, each morning, although it disappears soon as the sun pokes its head over the horizon. So far there's been no more attacks, which is a good thing. On the other hand, it means I'm no closer to stopping these murderers, since I've no leads and no news of them. Somehow they've gone to ground without a peep, not a word leaking out anywhere.

Watch today was uneventful, or at least, no more eventful than usual. Everything seems to have quieted down - there was less trouble, fewer people at the nightmarket. Perhaps it's just that they want to avoid the puddles that consume most of the streets and a good portion of the nightmarket, but I don' think so. It seems to me like the lull before a big storm, and I can tell the others sense it too. They're getting restless; even Pounce has taken to following me around. It's been a while since he's done that, and it worries me that my cat - constellation or god or whatever he be - is disturbed by the events of the past few weeks.

Court day is tomorrow, and I'm anything but looking forward to it, though I haven't got to report anything. As I said, it's been an uneventful week. Mayhap it won't be as dreadful as I remember...

Scratch what I said before. Court day was just as awful as ever. My whole body hurts from sitting on those hard benches all day, and my throat's dry as well. Ersken says this wouldn't be so bad if I would just relax, but try as I might, I just can't. I can't stop sneezing either; I think I've caught a cold. That should make this week even more interesting than ever. How terrible would it be if someone was attacked while I was stuck at home in bed? That would frustrate me to no end. If I'm feeling up to it, I aim to visit Granny Fern tomorrow, as well as the dust spinners. It's been a while since I've seen any of them, and mayhap they've picked up something useful. Goddess knows I could use some help with these shadow folk.

* * *

My dust spinners had naught that was useful to say. Watch was long and tiring. We managed to catch two pickpockets at the night market and a burglar escaping with his goods. Granny Fern gave me some tea that is supposed to help with my cold, for there's no doubt that I've got one. I intend to drink my tea and go to sleep for a very long time.

* * *

Rosto didn't come home last night. It didn't bother me when Kora told me - he's done that before, and I'm in no mood to talk to him after our argument nearly a week ago. I uneasily noted the clouds gathering in the sky above my head. They were black and heavy, weighted down with their unshed tears, and growing even closer to the point of weeping.

Still, I felt a prick of unease at his absence. Why had he chosen tonight to stay away?

I must confess I've still got a cold. I despise the blasted things. I think I would prefer to be out in the dangerous Cesspool streets where I'm comfortable than struck at home, surrounded by me (although perfectly wonderful) somewhat stifling friends. I promise myself at this moment, with Pounce as my witness (surely a constellation, or whatever he is counts) that I shall forevermore take great pains to avoid ever catching a cold again. They are one of the worst fates that can befall a person in this life.

Just a thought - do constellations catch colds? Pounce hasn't as of yet, and now that I think about it, he's not been ill at all. If it's not just that he hasn't taken ill, but that he can't, then I have to say I am more than a bit jealous of him.

It's now been three days and Rosto's still gone. Usually if he's going to be gone for more than a day or so he tells us before hand, or stops back in now and again. He's never been gone so long without sending word. It's got even Kora and Aniki worried. I've honestly no idea where he could have gone without them knowing - they've got nearly as many eyes and ears in the city as he. At least I know he hasn't been murdered. If he had I'd have had a pigeon on my windowsill.

The clouds are still gathering, waiting to pour forth the torrent of rain. There has been an almost constant splattering of the streets, but nothing more then a faint drizzle. Folk are few in the streets, most holing up until that which is sure to be a dreadful storm passes. I certainly think it's a good idea. I'd like nothing better than to lie here, wrapped in the warm blankets for the rest of my life. Well, perhaps not that long. Still, the warmth is wondrous. I can't recall the last time it was warm enough outside to walk around without getting chilled within moments, nor when it was last dry enough to have the windows open.

I'm feeling better than I have in days, which is good. My head has ceased pounding and has faded to merely fuzzy. Perhaps I shall go to sleep once again. If Rosto's still not back by the time I wake, I shall have to go after him. Course, it would be just like Rosto to get me out of bed 'afore I'm ready.

I woke up this morning and it was as if the fog that has surrounded me these past days has lifted away. The first thing that I do is hobble down to Aniki's room. I know better than to disturb Kora in the morning.

Aniki was sprawled across the bed, the blankets draped haphazardly over her form. She jerked awake when I tapped gently on the door frame. She seemed startled to see me awake, which isn't surprising since I've been spending most of my time sleeping lately. She pulled herself out of bed and began searching for clean clothes.

"Any news?" I asked quietly, almost afraid of what I would hear. Likely Rosto would have returned last night, and be asleep upstairs at this very moment.

"Nothing." Was her response, and immediately I felt my hopes shatter. Something was wrong. Rosto wouldn't have been gone this long without telling us first. "I was out late last night looking for a word, a glimpse, anything. It seems he's vanished without a trace. The court is in shambles due to the disappearance of their leader - it's never happened before, and there's no proof he's dead. Nor is there any clear successor, though they'd all like to say they were."

I swallowed hard. This wasn't looking good, not good at all.

"Is Kora awake?" was all I managed to ask. Aniki scowled.

"She should be. She was in bed before you - I wouldn't be surprised if she's coming down with a cold as well." As if she'd sensed us talking about her, Kora appeared in the doorway. Her face was drawn, her eyes bright. Wordlessly she held out his set of pipes.

Attached to them was a note scribbled on a scrap of paper.


	9. The Message

The scrap of paper felt too light in my hands, too light for the news it carried. The letters swam before my eyes, the meaning of the words having not yet sunk in. I know it shan't be long before it does, and then I'm not sure what I'll do. Rosto has always been so reckless that this shouldn't surprise me, but somehow it does. Less than two weeks ago he was lecturing me on being too reckless. He seemed so invincible.

_It's too late for him._

_Leave us alone or your _

_other friends shall meet _

_the same fate._

I looked up at Kora, surprised to find myself blinking back tears. I've heard it's impossible to cry while looking up, so that is what I did.

"Where did this come from?" I asked, relieved to find my voice steady.

"A lad gave it to me, just now. He said to make sure it made it to you."

"Why me?" I mused aloud, none of us able to find an answer. This was just another piece in a puzzle that none of us could solve. All of us cared about Rosto, what made them think that I was the one to give the message to? Kora and Aniki would make more sense. They'd known him longer, knew him better. A few possibilities lingered at the back of my mind but I chose to ignore them. I didn't want to think about that. "What did he look like? Did you ask him where he got it?" She nodded, a faint smile on her lips, though smiling was the last thing any of us felt like doing.

"I knew you would ask. I'm not that negligent." She paused, her voice strained. "He was just a boy, perhaps ten years, brown hair. Not from the Lower City. Said someone offered him a coin to fetch it to you, though he didn't recall anything about them. There's plenty of magic to distract him, to keep him from noticing anything about who gave it him."

"So they'd have to be a mage then." That would help narrow down our search. I knew without asking that we didn't intend to sit around and do nothing. Kora shook her head.

"Sorry Beka, but anyone can purchase a charm like that. You don't have to be able to work magic to work most of them, especially the simple ones." I sighed.

"Nothing else?" I couldn't help but hope there would be some bit that would make everything fit, or give us a clues as to who we were looking for. She shook her head.

"Sorry." I sighed.

"Nothing." I repeat hollowly. Nothing to narrow our search down at all.

"What if he's..." Kora can't finish her sentence, but we all know the answer. None of us can think of anything to say in response to this, nor can we think of what would happen if it is true. I've always known it's a possibility that Rosto won't come home one day - in fact, one day I'm certain that will happen. But I've never thought that it could be any time soon. I've never considered what I'll do when it does happen - it's always been something in the distant future.

"No," I began. "If he was...if he was dead I'd know it. There would have been a pigeon at my window this morning." We all breathed a slight sigh of relief. I didn't mention the fact that he could be killed any time and I likely wouldn't know about it until morning. They needed something to hold on to.

I looked down at the scrap in my hand. I smoothed it out over my knee, flattening the wrinkles my hand had left. I looked closely at it again. The long, sloping print looked vaguely familiar, though I couldn't say where I'd seen it. Pounce leapt up into my lapt. He gazed at me with his large purple eyes, and though I've long grown used to them, I felt a shiver run down my spine.

Then he mrted in a rather annoyed way.

_What a mess you've gotten us into this time._

"Yes, I've made a muddle of things, haven't I? Though I don't see you leaping to help." He eyed me dolefully, flicking the tip of his tail irritably.

_You don't need my help. Perhaps later._

"And when will that be?" I retort. He leapt to the ground with a flounce of his tail. Which, though it would do no good, pulling his tail was sorely tempting me at the time. I bit back the impulse.

_That is for me to know and you to find out, _he replies cynically. _If it comes to that._

Curse that cat. Why does he have to be so mysterious. Does he think that it's his duty as a constellation? To confuse us mortals and have us chasing our tails? He hopped up onto Aniki's bed and began to wash himself as casually as can be. Once again I wished that I had a normal cat, though I didn't mean it.

"Kora, was there anything else about the lad that delivered the message that you can remember? Anything distinctive on his clothing? Did he have an accent?" I didn't ask because I thought she might know something. I just needed to keep moving, feel as though I was making progress. I wished I'd been the one to speak with the lad. As much as I love Kora, she isn't as observant as I am, at least not about the little things. She tends to overlook the details.

"Not particularly. No accent - most likely he's lived in Corus his whole life. His clothing was plain, but very well made and he was wearing a ring of some sort. Probably a wealthy merchants son."

"Why would a merchant's son travel into the Lower City, just for a small coin? Especially if his father's got money?" Kora shrugged.

"Beats me. I'll ask around though, see if anyone's seen him. And I'll talk to some of the people who were nearby when he arrived. Mayhap they noticed something I didn't." I smiled, though my heart wasn't in it. It would take a miracle to find this lad if we didn't have something to go off of.

"Thanks. Anything would help at this point."

* * *

MWAHAHA!!!


	10. The Basket

"I don't like this one bit Cooper," Tunstall said, meandering his way through the stalls of the

Nightmarket. "Though there's nothing we can do but keep an ear out. We haven't a clue what's

happened to him, where he's gone, nothing." Goodwin had her thinking face on, and obviously

didn't want to be disturbed. Usually this lasts for the entire watch; her half present, half not state

where its more up to me and Tunstall to do the keeping of the peace, though she often comes out of

the clouds if there's a fight. Considering that, I was surprised when she spoke.

"I don't like the Rogue going missing. It has never happened before with out his body turning up the next day, and even so, that's a rare event. Rosto strikes me as too good at what he does to get caught unawares. Not to mention he's one of the fiercest fighters in the city, mayhap only topped by that mot of his, Aniki." I decided not to mention the fact that Aniki had a new cove - Bold Brian. What she was saying made sense; it was things that Kora, the others and I had gone over endlessly. If news of Rosto wasn't come about soon, things in the Court of Rogue would go to pieces entirely, and nothing Aniki, Kora and Phelan did would keep it together. It had been better in the Lower City since Rosto had taken the throne, and the folk knew that. They liked Rosto, which made his disappearance even more puzzling. It had to be either someone with a personal thing against him, or someone after his throne, though the latter would have surely stepped in to take control by now. Or just murdered him in public and had done with it. Then he would be King by right, rather than going through all this business of kidnaping him in the first place.

I voiced my thoughts, something which I have become more comfortable with doing around

my dogs as of late. They both considered my words carefully, and I'm certain they both had

something to say, but we'd arrived at Mistress Carvers stall, and Tunstall was more focused on the

food she had to offer than our missing Rogue. He mused and picked over the choices, taking great

pains to decide which ones he wanted this time, though he'd had something every night for the last week.

"Might'n I recommend the apple cinnamon patties?" she offered, her accent still very

pronounced. "They're fresher than the rest." Tunstall grinned, handing over his coins.

"I'll take a half dozen of them Mistress," he said. She gathered several delightful smelling patties in a large napkin and handed them over with a smile. I had no doubt they'd be gone within several minutes.

As we were walking away I heard her curse behind us. I turned to see a pigeon ducking at

her head, forcing her to drop the basket in her hands to hide her face. I ran back to help. I often felt

responsible for the pigeons, simply because I heard the ghosts riding them. I managed to catch hold

of the pigeon and held its wings to its sides. She was on the ground, picking up the contents of the

basket she had dropped. I threw the pigeon into the air and it flew off to the rooftops where it

perched, eyeing us with its beady black eyes. I knelt to help her with the mess before it was

trampled by passerby. I gathered a stack of papers, all what looked to be orders for baked goods

from those with money, more than any of us in the Lower City have. I caught a couple of words at

the top of one, an order from someone written in Scanran. This whole things was getting stranger and stranger. A mot who lived in the Lower City wouldn't have the money to afford so much paper; I'd not have been able to make maps for Goodwin and Tunstall when I was chasing the Shadow Snake if they hadn't given me the coin to do so. Not to mention the names that had been signed at the bottom of each order were unusual. There was one from His Grace, the Duke of Queenscove, as well as my Lord Provost. Probably the strangest thing was, though I'd gotten used to it long ago, was the fact that she could write at all, and as well as any noble. Most folk in the Lower City couldn't, and I'd only learned because I'd lived with my Lord Provost for several years, though I would have learned when I was training as a Dog if I hadn't already known.

Then I came upon a sheet of paper that was tattered and worn, where the others were crisp

and clean. It took me a moment before I realized what I was seeing. A list, seemingly of pointless

occurrences; the Scanran merchants that I'd spoken with nearly three weeks ago had arrived in town, several times Tunstall, Goodwin and I had visited her stall...but the thing that struck me most

was her handwriting. I now know why I recognized the writing from Rosto's note. It was only a

moment before she snatched the papers from my hands, stuffing them back in the basket and hiding

it behind her back, clearly flustered. I stood there for a moment, staring at her in shock before

Goodwin called back to me.

"Are you interested in eating dinner or would you rather spend the rest of the night standing

right there?" she asked. "Don' know 'bout you, but I'd prefer supper." I hurried to catch up with

them, my mind whirling. Mistress Carver had written the note, either that or someone was

exceedingly good at copying her writing, because it was a unique script.

I don't know for sure what I ate that night. All I could think about was speaking with my

friends when I got back to my lodgings that night. I could only hope that one of them would have

something to add, because on my information alone I couldn't do much.

"Something bothering you Cooper?" Goodwin asked, shaking me out of my daydreams. I

put down my fork and ceased shoveling food into my mouth as though it would disappear any

moment.

"Something I noticed when I helped Mistress Carver," I began, and now that I had Tunstall's

attention as well, she nodded for me to continue. "Her hand writing is the same as the note Kora was

given 'bout Rosto this morning."

* * *

HAHAHAHA! I updated. :D


	11. Unexpected Messanger

"Are you positive?" Aniki asked, pacing back and forth over a worn spot in the floorboards of my room. It's comforting to all of us. The familiar sound of her footsteps on the wood and the squeaky floorboard - tap, tap , tap , squeak, tap, tap - are a constant rhythm in the background. I nodded, playing with the end of my braid. My hair is even longer than usual now, considering I've not had time to cut it as of late what with all that's been going on. Outside it is dark and gloomy, the sky heavy with rain. It's been so for days now, and I don't like the looks of it, nor does Granny Fern. She says it's unnatural for the sky to withhold rain for so long. All I know is that when it does let loose, it will be one storm no one will want to get caught in.

"Absolutely. I've never been more sure of something in my life. I know what I saw." Kora was mixing herbs together, making something. What, I'm not certain.

"That's good. With Rosto's life at stake, we can't afford to make mistakes. If..." The rest of the sentence hung in the air as Kora's voice trailed off into nothing. If he's still alive. I still find it hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he might not be alive by the time we reach him. If we reach him. In fact, he might not be alive at this very moment, while we're still trying to find him. It's hard to comprehend, just as it was when I walked into Jane Street to find Verene was gone.

Aniki bit her lip.

"At least we've got a lead of some kind. I'll get Reed Katie and Bold Brian to follow this Mistress Carver till she gives something away, meets with someone, anything. Meanwhile, the rest of us should keep looking for clues." There was an unspoken agreement among us. We would do anything to bring Rosto back, anything to find out what was happening.

Kora spoke up.

"I've been looking for the lad who delivered the note, but so far I haven't found anything. I plan to speak with some of the rushers from the merchant districts to see if they've heard anything unusual, but I don't know if that will help."

I still don't know what I'm going to do if Rosto never is found, if he doesn't come back. I've always known he won't come home one day, that one day he'll be missing from our breakfast circle. Or perhaps that I'd be the one in that place. But I've never really been in a situation where that vision's come so close to coming true. I pray that it doesn't, that we find Rosto alive, that all this searching won't just turn up his corpse.

I don't know how I'd handle that. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about him anymore. He's always been the one flirting with me, taking advantage of every situation that presents itself. My sisters say I'm too sensible to fall in love, and I must confess, I agree with them whole heartedly. Or I used to. Now I'm not so sure.

Curse Rosto. He makes everything so complicated.

There was a knock on the door and I heard Reed Katie's voice.

"Beka, are you in there?" We all exchanged glances as Ersken opened the door. Katie's a pretty mot with her blonde hair cut short and clear green eyes. She and Aniki make a pair, and if you didn't know better you'd say they were sisters. "Beka, there's someone downstairs who wants to speak with you." I swallowed, suddenly anxious, though I couldn't come up with a reason why. It must be because I'm so god's curst shy. My throat is dry.

"Who?" Reed Katie shrugs.

"I don' know. But they said they wanted to speak with you, and you alone." I frowned. Why just me?

I find Jack Ashmiller standing at the bottom of the stairs, hands in his pockets. He turns around when he hears my footsteps on the wooden boards. He's gained some weight since I saw him last and has lost that gaunt look that I'd become familiar with.

I can't help but wonder the cause of his visit. I haven't seen him in nigh on three or four months, and now he shows up, wanting speech with me, and only me. The half anxious, half excited feeling in my belly increases. His face is grim and downcast, something that tells me that whatever he's here to say, it isn't good.

"Beka," he begins, "I'm going to get straight to the point." I curl my sweaty palms behind my back. I don't know why I'm so anxious.

"I've got news ye may be interested in, concernin' the disappearance of your friend, Rosto the Piper." I bit my lip, hoping it will be sommat we could use rather than the usual useless tidbits that have cropped up everywhere. "My eldest daughter tol' me she saw him up in Unicorn District late at night nearly a week and a half ago." A week and a half? That would be right about the time he went missing.

I thank him and ask him to give his daughter my thanks. If this is the clue that leads to his rescue I'll have to visit her with some apple raisin patties for her and her siblings.

The others are glad to hear the news, or as glad as we ever are these days. None of them remember him saying anything about going to Unicorn District, so that's where Kora and Phelan intend to start searching. They're going to talk to the rushers from that area, who might have seen or heard something. Mayhap there'll be more news up there. I'm going to poke around on my day off tomorrow, see what I can find. There are several dust spinners in that area, so I'll see if they have any information of use either.

I can only hope we find something, and fast. Rosto's been missing close to two weeks, and I'm afraid of what will happen if we take much longer.

* * *

All right. It's going to be a bit before I get this updated again, because even though I've got the next chapter started, it's not finished. That and I'm super busy for the next two weeks or so. My mom got this crazy idea that we should paint pretty much the entire house, just the two of us, because she doesn't trust my siblings with painting. I don't blame her, but it's not going to be fun...

Anyway, don't expect anything for at least another week, maybe two. Unless I get lucky and finish it before that. :D


	12. Mistress Carver

Though I had other plans, the first thing I did was set off in search of Mistress Carver. After what had happened yesterday I needed to talk to her - for what exactly I wasn't sure, but if I could get any information from her, it would be worth it. Some information was better than none. It wasn't hard to get directions to her lodging house. I asked three people - two mots and a cove - before I got reliable directions. She lives on Rover's Street in a well kept boarding house. I had to wait in the front room as the daughter of the woman who ran the place went to fetch Mistress Carver. After a few minutes wait she entered the room where I waited. When she saw who it was she froze. Then she turned to leave.

"Wait." My voice wasn't particularly loud, but she heard me. I'd half expected she'd ignore me anyways, but instead she turned back around.

"What do you want?" she asked. "I've got work to do, and I don't have time to be bothered."

"I won't take long. I just have a few questions for you, that's all." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"All right. But make it quick. I haven't got all day." I took a deep breath and decided to ask her straight out.

"Rosto the Piper is missing. What do you know about it?" She hesitated.

"What makes you think I know anything?" she asked cautiously, not giving anything away. I dug the note out of my pocket, the scrap of paper worn from being folded and refolded so many times. I held it out to her.

"It's your hand writing," I said, snatching the paper back when she tried to grab it. "I recognized it yesterday when I helped you pick up all of those papers." She sighed.

"All right. I wrote it," she admitted reluctantly. "But I didn't know what t'was for. They wanted someone else's handwriting, so they couldn't be blamed. And there was no way I could refuse. I owe them too much."

"Who are they?" I asked, though I knew better than to expect an answer. She scowled.

"I can't tell you that. I really haven't got a clue as to what's going on. All I did was write the note." I sighed. I'd gotten more out of her than I'd expected, but it still wasn't of much use. I bid her farewell and left her to her work. I wasn't going to get any more information from her, at least not today.

I met up with Aniki for our afternoon meal and told her what I'd found out. She told me that Reed Katie and Bold Brian were tailing Mistress Carver, and she'd let them know what Mistress Carver had told me. It's a small relief to know that those two are following Mistress Carver, though from what she told me today, I wonder how much they'll discover. I doubt they'll uncover much. I think me going to speak with her might have frightened her and that she'll avoid contact with her mysterious companions for several days. Mayhap we'll get lucky though and she'll lead us right to them. Then I'll be truly grateful for Bold Brian and Reed Katie.

Afterwards I went up into the Unicorn District and spent the rest of the day poking around, seeing if I could find something, but all I ended up with was a headache. I did run into Jack Asmiller's children, and bought them apple raisin patties as thanks for the information about Rosto. The two girls were helping a woman do her laundry, the lad entertaining himself with a wet stocking. I thanked the eldest sincerely, and when the younger gixie exclaimed proudly that she'd been a part of it too, I thanked her as well. It turns out the woman they were with is Jack Ashmillers sister, and they're staying with her while.

I visited three dust spinners in the Unicorn District with no luck, though I did hear of a murder that I'll report to Ahuda so she can pass it along to the Dogs who work Unicorn District. There are several more over there that I intend to visit tomorrow, but it was getting late and I still had to walk back to my lodging house and find something to eat for supper, so I called it quits for the day. On my way home I stopped to pick up some rolls for breakfast tomorrow morning. It's not the same with Rosto gone, but it'd be worse if we stopped meeting.

I returned to our lodging house that night to find Aniki, Kora, Phelan and Ersken gathered together around a table in Aniki's rooms. I could tell they were excited by the look on Ersken's face. It's been getting easier to read the emotions of the others, but I've still known Ersken the longest. Besides, his emotions show easily on his face. Still, there was a good reason for it this time. It turned out that Kora has a lead to the boy who had delivered the note. As they found out today, his older brother, Kavrin, is a rusher at the Court of Rogue and the lad we're looking for accompanied him today. She and Phelan followed the two of them back to their lodgings this afternoon without being noticed. It turns out we were wrong. They live here in the Lower City rather than one of the merchants districts, though Kora's guess is that they were better off at one point, but something happened and they were left on their own. At this point, this is our best lead. I informed the others of what Mistress Carver had told me, and Aniki put in that Brian and Katie haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary as of yet, but they're going to follow her tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. They're not going to give up until we find something, because they want to find Rosto almost as much as we do.

Phelan, Kora and I are going to speak to them tomorrow.

* * *

Okay, okay...so, I haven't started the next chapter yet...*ducks as dangerous objects come flying* Don't kill me please! But hopefully, when I get around to writing it, it will only take a few hours. So give me a few days before getting too angry. :D


	13. Brothers

Today has been a long day. I'm not entirely sure where to start, so I suppose I should start from the beginning. Otherwise it shan't make sense. It still seems like so much of a blur to me.

This morning Phelan, Kora and I left before the others had finished eating breakfast. Aniki left when we did because she wanted to check in with Katie and Brian. We headed off in opposite directions; Aniki was headed for the Court, and we were going to meet up with Kavrin and his younger brother. We went to their lodgings first, hoping to intercept them 'afore they left for the day. Luck was with us; we caught them as they were leaving.

This was my first time meeting either of them, and they didn't fit with the picture I had of them in my mind. The taller one - I was correct in assuming this was Kavrin - reminded me of Ersken at first glance. They had the same build, the same brown curls. Then I caught sight of his face. Erskens' eyes are soft and he smiles more often than not. Kavrins' eyes were dark and cold, his mouth turned down into a scowl when he saw Kora and Phelan. The younger brother was a good head shorter, with the same hair and green eyes. He looked to be about eleven or twelve, and Kavrin looked to be a few years older than me.

"What do you want?" Kavrin asked, the younger brother stepped back, standing just behind his brother like a shadow.

"Just a few words with your brother." It was Phelan who spoke. We had decided on this earlier. We thought they might trust him more, be more willing to open up to him. Kavrin looked as though he would argue, but the younger brother shrugged and stepped forward.

"I don't see why not." His curiosity showed on his face. His expression wasn't as guarded as his brothers. Phelan escorted the younger brother around the corner. We had already discussed the questions he was to ask. We'd spend nearly an hour going over them to make sure we didn't leave anything out. Kora and I stood there, trying our best to look casual although we were both anxious to hear what the boy had to say. Kavrin stood, bouncing on the balls of his feet, glancing around continuously. He looked jumpy, as though he was ready to flee at any moment.

I strained my ears to hear what Phelan and the boy were discussing, but I could only snatch a few words. "...worried...your brother..." That was Phelan. His voice was easily recognized between the two of them; it would have been easy to recognize even if I didn't know it so well. The other was higher pitched and had nothing of the intensity in Phelan's voice. "...can't remember...something about..." I began pacing in frustration. Patience had never been one of my strong points.

It seemed like eternity before Phelan and the boy emerged again. When they did, I stopped pacing and Kavrin took a step forward before halting. I managed to catch Phelan's eye and he nodded. I felt hope blossom in my chest. Maybe we were getting somewhere after all!

"Do you need anything else?" Kavrin's voice echoed the irritation on his face. I started; for half a second I'd forgotten he was there.

"No," Phelan replied. "Thank you for your time." Kavrin just took his brother by the arm and strode off into the maze of streets and alleys that made up this part of the city.

He refused to say anything until we were well away, closeted away in one of the private rooms at The Gryphon, one of the taverns in this area with a better reputation. At that point, both Kora and I were impatient to hear what he had to say. He noticed, and held a hand up to stop the flood of questions.

"Before you say anything, let me tell you what I know." He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "The boy, Evyn, doesn't remember anything. He doesn't even remember delivering the note. He doesn't know anything. What he did tell me, was that his brother is currently involved with Mistress Carver. And he's Gifted." Kora sighed.

"I didn't expect he'd remember anything. I told you there's magic out there that can block things like that, or enchant people."

"I know. I should have believed you in the first place. I know." Phelan had been one of the most skeptical of the boy - Evyn's lack of information. He had always been a bit skeptical of magic, and things involving sorcery. "What I can't figure is how the older brother, Kavrin fits in with all this." He looked at me. "Beka?"

"Mistress Carver wrote the note that Evyn delivered," I began slowly.

"Maybe Kavrin's the one who enchanted him in the first place," Kora said. "She asked him to do it, and..." Phelan and I were already shaking our heads.

"I doubt it. Kavrin's protective of his brother. I doubt he'd enchant him at the request of some girl he's seeing. Besides, he could just ask Evyn to deliver it. He's trusting enough that he'd do it without asking questions."

"So where does that leave us?" Kora asked, poking idly at the bit of food left on her plate.

"More confused than ever," I replied. After a few moments, I asked, "Phelan? Is there anyway you can talk to Kavrin tonight when you're at the Court?" He shrugged.

"I can try. He's bound to be suspicious after today, but it can't hurt. Why?"

"Ask him about the note. He knows something he's not telling us. See what you can get out of him. If he doesn't give anything away, I'll try talking to him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Kora asked. "Will you have time?" I nodded.

"Tunstall, Goodwin and I are collecting the Happy Bags tomorrow. There's usually a bit of spare time. There should be plenty of time since...since Rosto's gone."

* * *

I know, I know, it's very unhelpful. Sorry. But at least it's something, right?


End file.
